The sound of porcelain shattering against marble echoed through the room before anyone could stop it.
A nurse gasped. The glass of water had slipped from Victoria Caldwell's hand and exploded at her feet, clear fragments scattering beneath the hospital lights. The sharp scent of antiseptic hung in the air, mixed with the faint perfume of white lilies wilting by the window.
Victoria was awake.
Not groggy. Not confused.
Awake.
Her eyes were steady as they fixed on the television mounted across from her bed. The volume was low, but she did not need sound to recognize what she was seeing. Julian's face filled the screen. A scene from Eternal Flame. Selena's hand resting a little too comfortably on his chest. Headlines scrolling beneath them.
Chemistry Too Real To Ignore.
Victoria inhaled slowly. The air felt cold in her lungs.
"Turn it up," she said.
Her voice was rough from disuse, but it carried authority that made the nurse fumble for the remote.
